City manager Pep Guardiola has made no secret of his admiration for the Chile striker who he signed while in charge of Barcelona in 2011 and senior sources at the club have confirmed there is strong interest.

Reports in Chile claimed yesterday that Alexis Sanchez, 28, has already has made up his mind he wants to quit the Emirates and is “close” to a re-union with Guardiola rather than join Chelsea or Manchester United.

He has only a year left on his contract with Arsenal and has been stalling on signing a new one.

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Pep Guardiola wants to reunite with Alexis Sanchez

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Alexis Sanchez has made his mind up where he wants to go

If he fails to commit, Arsenal will have no option but to sell because they risk losing him for nothing in 2018.

If Sanchez arrives at the Etihad, it would raise question marks over the future of leading scorer Sergio Aguero.

But Guardiola is understood to want to keep the 28-goal Argentinian to play with Sanchez and Brazilian youngster Gabriel Jesus in an all-South American front three – like the Barcelona’s much-vaunted triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.